vrcanaries Chapter 76 Song Dynasty
Chapter 76 Song Dynasty
Before long, people from all dynasties saw two gentle and refined men appear in the room.
Lin Ke's eyes lit up as she gestured for them to sit down. Then, she introduced Bao Zheng, saying, "Bao Zheng, known in folklore as Bao Qingtian, is often depicted with a dark face in various literary works, but he is actually a handsome man who isn't dark-skinned at all."
"Bao Zheng was upright and incorruptible, fearless of powerful figures, and impartial in his dealings with the public. In the capital, he was known as 'If you can't get through the connections, there's always Judge Bao.' Later generations revered him as a deity, believing him to be the reincarnation of the star Kui. During the Southern Song and Jin dynasties, there were operas and stories featuring Bao Zheng."
Bao Zheng of the Northern Song Dynasty: I feel embarrassed to be praised like that!
"Another Lord Su Zhe enjoys immense popularity in later generations, known for his constant efforts to rescue his exiled elder brother and his obsessive love for his brother."
"Aside from making fun of his brotherhood with his brother Su Shi, Su Zhe was as famous as his father and brother, collectively known as the Three Sus, and was listed as one of the Eight Great Masters of the Tang and Song Dynasties."
"His poetry and prose were deeply influenced by his father and brothers, and he was particularly skilled in political and historical essays. He was also a highly accomplished calligrapher, whose work was elegant, free-flowing, and meticulously crafted."
"Leaving aside the illustrious reputation of his brother Su Shi, I believe he was an exceptionally talented person to have risen to the position of prime minister."
"To be honest, it's hard to find another pair of brothers in this world who share both glory and hardship."
Su Zhe, the expert at rescuing his brother: Oh my, I'm just as good as my brother!
The optimist Su Dongpo: At the age of twenty-five, I was surrounded by friends, and at that time, I was as close as Ziyou, the only one in the world!
……
The live broadcast continues.
"Now, let's begin with the questions. Lord Bao and Lord Su, please answer them:"
"In later generations, there was an emperor in the Song Dynasty who was given the title Wanyan. Which of the following was he?"
"The first answer is Zhao Zhen, the second is Zhao Gou, and the third is Zhao Xu."
Emperor Zhao Kuangyin of the Song Dynasty: What the hell! His surname is Wanyan! Which grandson went to serve the Jurchens?!
After that, the people in the Wan Dynasty, having learned from their previous experience, randomly chose one, which was either right or wrong. This made things difficult for the people from the Northern Song Dynasty, especially the two people present.
Su Zhe and Bao Zheng both felt that this question was particularly unfriendly to their Northern Song Dynasty. What Wanyan! That wasn't a Jurchen surname; how could the Song imperial family…
The two men looked at each other, and the same thought popped into their minds in disbelief: Could it be that the Song Dynasty later surrendered to the Jurchens?!
Based on their brief experience as colleagues, Su Zhe chose Zhao Gou, while Bao Zheng chose Zhao Xu.
The first rule for working people: No matter how well the big boss Zhao Zhen performs, subordinates should never elect their leaders!
Lin Ke glanced at the backstage and immediately announced the answer: Congratulations, Lord Su, for winning a set of super value medicine blind boxes. Those who didn't answer correctly can purchase them in the store.
In the blink of an eye, Su Zhe and Judge Bao reappeared in the Northern Song Dynasty.
……
Lin Ke paused for a moment, then said seriously, "What I'm about to say might cause a heart attack for some emperors of the Song Dynasty. Please prepare a royal physician to accompany you."
Emperor Zhao Kuangyin of the Song Dynasty: Something doesn't feel right.
Judy, the General Who Conquers the North: This is more than just bad!
A Ming Dynasty soldier: This is very bad, hahaha!
……
"The Song Dynasty was a rare era of economic, educational, and cultural prosperity in history. Although later generations referred to it as a weak Song, some say: The Song Dynasty was beautiful; it represented the pinnacle of Chinese culture, evolving over thousands of years."
"It's fair to say that everyone is a merchant; almost all of the country's economic policies have only one goal: to make money! How to obtain more fiscal revenue from the market—in short, they're very wealthy."
"If the Northern Song Dynasty weren't wealthy, how could it have paid the Liao Dynasty an annual tribute of 10 taels of silver and 20 bolts of silk?"
"Not only that, but they also gave the Western Xia 50,000 taels of silver, 130,000 bolts of silk, and 20,000 catties of tea every year."
"Furthermore, during festivals and holidays, we will give Western Xia 22,000 taels of silver, 23,000 bolts of silk, and 10,000 catties of tea."
Zhu Baba of the Ming Dynasty: This guy is damn rich! He's paying protection money to others like a sucker!
Judy, the General Who Conquers the North: Father is absolutely right!
Emperor Zhao Kuangyin of the Song Dynasty: ...
……
"But what I find strange about the Song Dynasty is that it was not a dynasty lacking in capable civil and military officials, nor was it an economically depressed dynasty."
"But why did the Jingkang Incident happen later? The emperor, concubines, and princesses became prisoners, and those who were lucky enough to die on the road..."
"In short, the Song Dynasty lacked nothing except a wise ruler."
Emperor Zhao Kuangyin of the Song Dynasty: ...
All Song Dynasty emperors except Emperor Taizu (feeling inexplicably guilty): ...
Zhu Baba of the Ming Dynasty: That makes sense!
Judy, the General Who Conquered the North: What a pity for General Yue Fei!
……